Marissa Janning has been such a central figure for Watertown-Mayer’s girls’ basketball team for so long, it’s difficult to believe that Janning is still just a junior.

A prolific scorer and an instinctive point guard, Janning — whose older brother Matt completed his career at Northeastern University last year as the fourth-leading scorer in team history — already has amassed more than 2,000 career points and is expected to join the exclusive 3,000-point club sometime in her senior year.

Staff writer Jim Paulsen caught up with Janning as she prepares to try to lead the Royals to another state tournament berth.

Q  What makes the Janning family so good in basketball?
A  I’m not sure. I think we just have a really competitive gene.

Q  How long have you been playing basketball?
A  I started when I was really young. I played AAU basketball with Tayler Hill when I was in first and second grade. I think she was in fourth grade then.

Q  What is it that you love about the sport?
A  Being able to get out and run and create. You start from scratch and develop the building blocks and then you put the pieces together and make up your own masterpiece.

Q  How much inspiration do you get from your brother?
A  Just about all of it. He’s my role model. He’s taught me so many things, like not showing your emotions when calls don’t go your way and always being prepared.

Q You play AAU ball with North Tartan, one of the best programs in the country. What opportunities has it given you?
A Almost all of them. Like last summer, we went to the Nike Nationals (in Augusta, Ga.). It was the highlight of my life so far.

Q  Why?
A  The atmosphere was unbelievable. You walk into a tournament in Minnesota, and there are usually two or three good teams and eight or nine teams that are just there. At the Nike Nationals, every team is good. The girls play because they love the sport. They have Division I scholarships or are getting looks.  There are girls there who are going to play at places like UConn. I don’t see that at Watertown-Mayer.

Q  How has playing for North Tartan improved your game?
A I have the puzzle pieces. It’s helped me to start putting them together. It’s the mental game, picking out the right decision and knowing what to do in certain situations.

Q  What makes playing for your school important?
A  It’s the bond we have. It’s like a family relationship. We talk about unity. That’s important if something goes wrong.

Q  Do you have more pressure on you at the high school level?
A  I wouldn’t say pressure. I think the team looks up to me for leadership. I like that.

Q  What do you do as a leader?
A  At Watertown, I help the rest of the team take steps to get better. I’ve been on the varsity since seventh grade, so I’ve seen some girls take steps that people never thought they would take. I’ve gotten others to join the team. It’s really cool to see that happen.